Sir Lenny Henry has criticised the way streaming services commission content, saying: “They want to know if it is going to sell before they think it’s going to be any good.”
The comedian, who has been appearing on TV screens for almost 50 years, thinks the BBC has a better approach to commissioning. He said the broadcaster (“thank God!”) listens to the story that is being pitched and says: “We think this will be quite an interesting story to tell: you should tell that story.”
He asked the audience at the Hay festival in Wales: “How many things have you watched on the telly on the BBC and thought, ‘Well, that was a hard watch. But I’m glad I’ve watched it’?”
The Comic Relief co-founder was speaking on a panel to discuss the film adaptation of My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal, which Henry’s company Douglas Road is producing – and in which Henry has a small role. When the event’s chair, Sarfraz Manzoor, asked if My Name Is Leon felt “like this is this is what the BBC is for”, both Henry and his fellow panellist, Monica Dolan – who is acting in the film, immediately responded: “Yes.”
The film, which will be broadcast on BBC Two in June, tells De Waal’s story of a mixed-race boy who is separated from his white baby brother when their mother is no longer able to look after them.
It has been about six years in the making, said Henry, who put forward the idea of an adaptation after narrating the audiobook. The panel praised the way the BBC had stuck with the project, despite being held up by the pandemic.
Henry emphasised how important it was that the BBC had accepted a film adaptation, rather than a series. “A lot of writers write one thing, and have a story to tell,” he said. But, he added, when you take ideas to distributors, many of them will ask: “Why isn’t this 13 episodes?”
The 63-year-old criticised streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, saying they failed to nurture new writers sufficiently. This was particularly true, he said, of writers of colour, who often only get one chance to prove themselves, without getting the support they need to grow.
Henry referred to the BBC’s Writersroom as an example of how to develop talent more effectively, but said it was theatres that did this kind of development work particularly well. “The streamers could learn a thing or two from the theatre,” he said. When Henry started writing for theatre a few years ago, he “sat in a room with a dramaturg going through [his] script page by page”, he said. “And that’s kind of what needs to happen with these new writers.”
While Douglas Road has not yet produced anything for a streaming service, Henry has acting roles in two forthcoming shows, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Witcher: Blood Origin, from Amazon Prime and Netflix respectively.
But it his work with the BBC – Comic Relief, The Lenny Henry Show, Chef! – that Henry is best known for, and he is clearly proud of it. He was critical, however, of the cuts that have been announced recently, including the decision to make CBBC online only. “I think it’s a mistake,” the comedian said. “Where are kids going to see themselves?” he asked, highlighting the importance of diverse representation on children’s television.
